Brazil: Lawmaker Proposes Tighter Anti-Terrorism Laws

What Happened: Brazilian legislator Lasier Martins from the Social Democratic Party has introduced legislation to expand the scope of a 2016 anti-terrorism law to include actions that damage private property and public transport assets, Folha de Sao Paulo reported Dec. 6.

Why It Matters: Demonstrators in Brazil frequently damage public and private property during protests; if the new law passes, they would face almost certain jail time under the anti-terrorism code. Groups targeted by the proposed law are likely to stridently oppose the legislation, resulting in intensified demonstrations against the government of President-elect Jair Bolsonaro.

Background: Implementing stricter anti-terrorism legislation was a central campaign promise from Bolsonaro, who campaigned against the perceived lawlessness of protesters in Brazil.